The Essence of Time
by SerendipityAsAlways
Summary: Essence is a girl blessed by the Valor God of the Dead, Mandos, with extraordinary healing powers. Essence has never known love nor compassion until she has a run in with a company of dwarves in the Misty Mountains. As Essence slowly begins to feel again, a curse stops her and holds her back. Can a couple of dwarves help her from the cold and dark fate that awaits her? FilixOCxKili
1. Chapter 1

It was cold in the cave. The fire had long since gone out, and Essence shivered against the cold. The stone, like ice under her was uninviting, and she wrapped her arms around herself. Her clothes were still wet, previously laid out against the fire to dry. She had been traveling in the rain for far too long before she stopped, and was now soaked to the bone and shivering. If it wasn't for the sparse amount of sticks and leaves that happened to litter the cave before she walked in, she would have, most likely, suffered from hypothermia. At least _she_ was dry, if not her clothes.

A loose shirt and underskirt still clung onto her fragile body, still slightly damp, but warmed by her body heat. Essence brushed a loose strand of wet hair behind her ear, hugging her knees to her chest. Her stomach grumbled, and she let out a shaky sigh. She hadn't eaten in days—it was a wonder the young healer was still living.

Outside, Essence could hear the wind and rain battering the side of the mountain, the thunder roaring and lightning illuminating the rock spikes outside the cave. The small girl didn't even know where she was—her last map was ruined after she had foolishly tried to read it in the rain. Essence now resented that, and hoped she would happen along a road soon.

A particularly loud crash of thunder—or was it really thunder?—wracked the stone walls of her cave, and Essence thought she heard a yell or two. They sounded of Men, but she couldn't be sure. Besides, no Man would travel this far. She was probably beginning to hear things as the cold began to get to her head.

Another roar shook the cavern, and Essence vaguely began to question the thought of it being simply thunder. She put her head between her knees, hoping to find warmth. She was, honestly, used to being alone, and liked it that way. She didn't used to be this way, though. Once she could feel. Once she could love.

Essence ran her thin fingers through her raven black hair and sighed. Her life was a mixture of blood and tears, old wounds that could never be repaired.

Essence was an elf. Yet, also a Valor, in a way. As a child, Essence had died as her mother gave birth. Stricken with grief, her mother prayed to the Valor for days, weeks, especially to the king of the dead, Namo, more commonly known as Mandos. The old Valor king, known for his cruelty, spared the young Essence's life, yet took her mother's life in return. On the young girl, Essence, he placed a curse. Though a gift to others, this curse caused the poor girl to suffer. She was to be the strongest healer in the land, and while she was able to save lives, her own was always in danger.

While the young girl, named Essence for her glowing presence, could heal and help people in better ways and efficiency than anyone else on Middle Earth could, she would always suffer. Everything she did to heal each one, whether it be Elf or Man, was taken out on her. If she ever went too far, the life could be taken out of her. Not like it hadn't already been.

Essence knew, in her heart, she could not save everyone. And those who she could not save, their family's tears would be forever embedded in her. The lifeless look of the victim she couldn't help, their cold fingers as the life was sucked out of them, had scarred her. The deaths and blood she had seen countless times had hardened her. She had once been a happy girl, full of life. But even in a short time that could change. As time went on, Essence realized that she would never be the same, feel the same, or look upon her peers the same. She realized she could never love again.

Essence shuttered, rocking back and forth on the ground. Essence was not scared of death—no, she had seen too much of it to be scared—and yet, the thought made her shudder. Nothing seemed worse than having let Mandos and her mother down after just seventy nine years. The young girl had not yet lived to her full potential.

A second loud noise shook the cave, and a small stone fell from the roof, just feet away from Essence. Feet away from hitting her, and probably killing her. Essence let out a gasp as she clamored backwards, fear rushing through her. She put a frozen hand to her cheek to try to stop the tears forming at her eyes. How she longed to be back in Rivendell, the most glorious place she had visited in all her travels. She had helped aid the king there, and though it was a simply fix, only taking a minute, they had let her stay. And, for the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged.

A series of thundering blasts echoed through the cavern, and Essence sunk back as far as she could against the wall. Rocks battered the side of the mountain, shaking the cavern. Even from inside, Essence could feel the rocks as they cascaded down the wall. Another Man-like yell came from outside the cavern, but this time, it was followed by many more. Her keen Elven hearing picked up on that immediately, even through the thick rain. Essence tensed up, slowly standing. She quickly brushed all traces of tears from her cheek, her breaths shaky. Another crash on the wall, followed by more yells. They were definitely men. The girl's wet hair clung to her fine olive skin, and she brushed it off, shaking. Caves in the mountain were almost never dwelled upon, but if Men were charging through the mountains in this weather, this would be the first cave they would enter. She had chosen this one because of the large door-like entrance on the front, something the men would easily see.

Essence quickly backed up against the wall, looking around in fear for somewhere to hide. There was no way she could leave this cave without being seen by the Men.

"Oh, thank God," she heard one of them say, as many groans sounded through the cave. They were near. Essence, seeing nowhere to hide, began chanting to herself. The good parts about being an elf are the little things that come in handy every so often. Essence slowly began to melt into the wall, or at least, it seemed like she did. The girl chanted a simple, yet effective, illusion upon herself, and seemingly disappeared. Almost everything was camouflaged except her glowing golden eyes, which she couldn't shut for fear the Men would sense her. She needed to be alert and awake the entire time.

"He's been lost ever since he left home," snapped a low voice at the entrance of the cave. "Dwalin!" _No, no, no,_ though Essence to herself as the two Men entered the cave.

The Men came through the front of the cave came the stomping of heavy feet. Essence looked down and almost gasped aloud. She had foolishly forgotten to pick up after herself, and had left her drying clothes in front of the small pile of ash that used to be a fire. Her coat, over-skirt, over-shirt, and undergarments were still lying next to the fire. Essence almost screamed at herself. If these were the men she was used to, she would be down an outfit. The Men stomped in anyways, stepping over the jagged cave bottom. They were behind Essence as she breathed slowly, and they began to cast light through the cave.

"Search the cave," said the low voice. "Though caves in the mountains are seldom occupied." The Men rush forward, lighting up the cave. Essence frowned—she didn't even know it went that far back. The man who had spoken first walked in front of her, and looked around. Essence realized that this company was not of Men—it was of dwarves. And, as another one stepped inside, of hobbits.

A dwarf with a half shaved head and tattoos sprawled across the bald side stood next to the one with the dark hair. "Thorin, what do you suppose that is?" Suddenly, the dark haired one, apparently named Thorin, turned around. He stood a foot away from Essence and as he turned, Essence saw worn features and a thick beard, more kept than the other ones'. He looked down at the small fire that used to be there, as well as her clothes strewn next to it. Thorin's eyes widened as he looked back at the shaved dwarf.

"We must leave, now," he said, and Essence let out a sigh of relief. "All of you, we must go."

"Why?" asked another one. Essence's eyes followed the conversation. Her back was tight against the wall as they argued. "We just got here!"

"Someone else has been here," he says lowly, turning his back to her. "The fire looks fairly new. They will be back before morning." _Yes, leave,_ thought Essence as the dwarves around groaned.

"It looks abandoned," says one with long blonde hair and a braided beard. "They must have already left."

"Not without taking their clothes first," says Thorin, gesturing to the clothes that lay on the floor. Essence's heart skipped a beat as a dark haired one picked up her skirt, fingering it. It was elven made, and she prided herself in not usually having dirty dwarven fingers all over it.

"And it looks like it was a lady," says the one holding the skirt, a mischievous smile on his face and his dark eyes lighting up. Essence almost reached out and hit the childish dwarf, but the dark haired dwarf saved her from having to do so. Thorin snatched the skirt from him and threw it back down, a disgruntled look on his face. The one who previously held the skirt frowned.

"Lady or not, we're getting out of here," said Thorin, turning again to leave the cave.

"Thorin, you're not going to make us walk out in the cold again, are you?" asked the one with tattoos, and Thorin turned to glare at them.

"Yes, I am!" yelled Thorin loudly, almost shaking the cave. "We're not going to be—"

"You should listen to them, Thorin," said a very short dwarf with a curled white beard. He was probably the oldest one there. "We'll only stay until dawn breaks. And it is very unlikely our guest here would have left in this weather, or bothered to come back." The old man shrugged as Thorin drew himself up to his full height and tightened his lips. "We need to get out of this rain, Thorin, or you will lose half your company to natural causes." The dwarves nodded vigorously, and the small hobbit leaned up against the wall as if he were trying to blend in, just as Essence was. The rough stone against her back was beginning to hurt.

"Very well," said Thorin stiffly, and many sighs echoed through the cavern. Thorin, the tattooed dwarf, and the old one moved towards the edge of the cave, sitting down. Another one, with red hair braided through his beard and mustache, walked in with a handful of sticks and twigs apparently held in the side of the cave Essence had not traveled yet to.

"I'll make a fire!" he said excitedly, dropping the sticks on the ground, and Thorin waved his hand dismissively.

"No fires tonight," said Thorin, and Essence frowned. It would have been nice to be warmed up—it was still cold in the cave, and she didn't have as much clothing on as the dwarves, even though they were soaked to the bone as well. And, looking at the blonde and brunette dwarves who were eying her clothes, she figured she would not be getting them back any time soon. "We'll wait here 'till morning, then leave the mountain at dawn."

"I thought the plan was to stay in the mountains until Gandalf met up with us?" inquired the white bearded dwarf, and Thorin sat down gruffly.

"Plans change," he replied simply, and watched the dwarves lie down. Many of them took whatever spots they could in the cave and put bags under their heads, falling asleep almost immediately. Essence breathed in a sigh of relief.

The dwarf that had made a comment about her skirt on the floor walked over to where her clothes were still laid out. The other dwarf with blonde hair and a braided beard walked up and stood beside him. "I do hope that lass comes back tonight," said the dark haired one quietly. "She won't be wearin' any clothes!" The blonde one next to him snickered, and Essence moved to reprimand them. She immediately regretted it after the brunette lifted his head from her garments on the floor. His eyes widened as her skin slowly processed that she had moved and set into its new background. He opened his mouth and squinted at the space on the wall. He frowned, reaching his hand out to touch the movement.

"What was that?" he asked quietly, and his brother looked up at him.

"What was what?"

"That movement." His short frame moved towards her, and she bit her lip to keep from yelling out. Maybe he just wouldn't see her…

He took another step closer to Essence, and she drew a quick breath in. His eyes widened and he looked her straight in the eyes. She mentally cursed herself—she should have closed them. Unlike most elves, her eyes didn't seem to blend in with her surroundings. The gold stuck out like a sore thumb against everything.

"What are those?" he asked to no one in particular, reaching a hand out to one of her eyes. His finger was thin, for a dwarf, and caked with dirt. Essence tried to think of a way to reveal herself before the foolish dwarf poked one of her eyes out. Though she was known for her gentleness, at least while she was helping someone, she did not feel the need to be gentle now. Essence decided a more domineering approach would be best. After all, they were all barely over five feet tall.

"Excuse me," Essence said loudly, willing her camouflage to wear down. The dwarf jumped back, tripping over her damp coat and landing on the ground. She shook her black hair over her shoulder and stood as tall as she could. Over the years, healing had taken its toll on her height, and she continued to shrink. She was now barely two inches taller than the dwarves, something she wouldn't have. "What _are_ you doing here?" Many of the dwarves had snapped their heads up and drew their weapons. Essence tried not to show her fear as she stood tall. The dark haired dwarf called Thorin stood up to reach her height, holding a sword across the room and pointing it at her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked aggressively, waving his sword at Essence. She lifted her chin and spoke with the authority she had begun to master. Well, as much authority as she could with only a thin over-shirt that was probably wet and a thin skirt on. No doubt see-through.

"She's wearing clothes," said one of the two dwarves in front of her disappointedly, and her face heated up. She held back a glare at them.

"Close _enough_ to naked, though," replied the other dwarf, and though no one else seemed to hear but the said dwarves, Essence drew her head high.

"This is my cave," she said defiantly, "And I believe _you_ would be the intruders here."


	2. Chapter 2

**Very sorry for the lack of author's note in the first chapter, I seem to have forgotten it :D. This chapter focused mainly on character development, and though some of them are a little (or a lot…;)) OOC, I hope you still like it. Thanks for actually making it to the next chapter… I'm very pleased ****.**

**And I um… don't own Tolkien. Or anything in here, really, except Essence. But I wish I did. A lot. ;(**

"What?" asked the dark bearded one, frowning and lowering his sword. "This cannot be, you—"

"She materialized out of the wall, uncle," said the brunette dwarf on the ground, and Thorin waved his hand.

"Silence, Kili, I need not your ridiculous tales here," he said, and the one called Kili frowned, his long dark hair falling into his eyes. Essence lifted her gaze up from the young dwarf and back up to the older one. His mouth was drawn into a permanent frown as he looked at her, and she again lifted her chin. "Now, tell me what you are doing here?"

"As I have already said," Essence murmured, all the dwarves now very much awake, "This is my cave, and you have disturbed me." Thorin's eyebrows knitted, his hand slowly drooping. "I am a simple traveler who happened upon this cave hours ago, and I mean you no harm." Essence brushed a strand of black hair out from behind her ear and looked at the dwarves. They were a curious pack. A very large dwarf sat to the right, at the back of the cave, and next to him one with a pointed mustache and hat, another with small eyes and a confused expression laden on his face.

"Who are you?" asked dwarf, his features hard. "A spy? Who sent you!" The dwarves held their swords at full height again, and Essence wanted to scream in frustration.

"I'm just a traveler," she said, grabbing her coat from the ground and sending a glare towards the two younger dwarves who were staring up at her. A blush crept up both their necks and they sunk back into the stone wall.

"A traveler, of course," said Thorin, narrowing his eyes at her. "Why would a traveler, especially a woman, be traveling through the Misty Mountains?" Oh, so that is where they were. Essence frowned to herself, trying to come up with a believable story.

"Why would travelers like _yourselves_ be journeying through these parts?" Thorin frowned at her, his sword, though feet away, pointed closely at her head. It would be wise for her to keep quiet about who she was, she realized.

"Our business is our own," he snapped, then added, "Elf." The other dwarves looked up at her, their eyes full of distaste and resentment. The corners of her mouth tilted into a frown as she recalled the dire history the Elves and Dwarves shared with each other.

"My business is as well my own," she replied haughtily, and Thorin frowned at her. "It would also do you well to know I am not of the Elves." Her hair covered her pointed ears, so they could only assume she was of Men. Thorin's frown deepened at her, and she swallowed thickly. "I am no one that concerns you." Thorin huffed slightly, pondering the thought of the girl. Essence tightened her full lips.

What could she be if not an Elf? Thorin thought to himself over her heritage. If she was indeed a traveler, which she so claimed to be, why was she here? And her eyes. As Thorin looked upon them, they seemed to glow in the dim light of the cavern. Golden as the sun, something he had never seen before. She could be a fairie, though that seemed highly unlikely. He had never seen one nor heard of one in his existence, so they could not be real.

"Very well then," he said, and Thorin dropped his sword reluctantly. His companions sighed happily, nestling back into the ground, happy to be off to sleep once more. But Thorin stayed standing. "We shall leave our lady traveler in peace, and find another cave." The dwarves were silent for a moment, and then a commotion started. Yells were sounding off the walls of the cave wildly and strings of curse words flew out of many of the dwarves' mouths.

"Silence!" Thorin yelled, stamping his foot on the ground and causing an echo through the cavern. All activity and yelling stopped, leaving an angry Thorin and a hovering Essence in the middle of the cavern. "As I said before, we will—"

"Stay," Essence finished for him, and Thorin looked at her. His low-set eyebrows raised. They needed the rest, she could see from looking around at the party. They were scratched and dirty and wet, no doubt suffering from something. In addition, it was her job to see that everyone got the proper care where she was. Even if she was an elf (secretly) and they hated her.

"Excuse me?" he asked, staring at the girl. Under her long skirt, she raised herself up so she was standing on her toes, making her an inch taller than the Dwarven leader as she stepped towards him.

"You should stay," she said softly, her voice gaining a mesmerizing tone. She used this when trying to calm scared patients who wouldn't stop screaming or jerking around, and now she was using it to calm an angry dwarf. It wasn't a crime, was it? "Think, Thorin," she said softly, taking another step towards him. His narrowed eyes began to soften, and his sword clattered to the ground.

"H-How do you know m-my name," he said slowly, under a trance. A pang of guilt hit her stomach as she realized what she was doing. She needed to stop.

"You and your company will stay here for the night," she said simply, no hint of charm to her voice. Thorin's sharp blue eyes cleared, and he looked upon the girl with his head held high, the same way he had previously. But now, there was a hint of composition to his features, a serene expression faintly painted into his face.

"Very well," he said slowly in a deep voice, and another collective sigh went through the dwarves on the floor. Thorin picked up his sword quickly. "But, may I ask, what is your name, girl?"

Essence considered his request. Was it wise to reveal her name to such dwarves? Not that they had never heard it before, she was sure of that. A girl gifted by the Valor did not go unnoticed around anyone, much less dwarves. "My name is Mara," she said, smiling at them. Secrets were the bane of her existence, and she didn't trust these dwarves. Some secrets were better kept.

"Well, Mara, thank you for your hospitality," said the white bearded dwarf. "My name is Balin, at your service." He made a curt bow to her, and she lifted her chin up, a forced smile gracing her face.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Balin," she said. "Now, all of you should get some sort of sleep—you seem to be in need of rest." A nod and many groans wafted through the crowd of dwarves, at least, from those who hadn't already fallen asleep. The dwarf Balin smiled at her pleasantly, then walked off to sleep somewhere. She glanced at Thorin, who was still eying her suspiciously.

"Bofur," called Thorin to a dwarf with a pointed hat Essence had seen earlier. "You're on watch tonight." He nodded, walking to the front of the cave and plopping down. Thorin directed his gaze back at Essence, who shuddered. "You have such beautiful eyes," said Thorin maliciously, in a way that Essence knew it wasn't a compliment. "It'd be interesting to know where those came from." He turned on his heel and headed to the back of the cave to occupy the spot next to Balin. Essence let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and turned around to look into the startled eyes of the two younger dwarves. Both their eyes were wide, and Essence rolled her own.

"What do you want," she asked dryly, sitting down next to her coat and grabbing her clothes away from the younger dwarves. They were still damp, and she sighed. It would be awhile before she was able to stop looking like a fool.

"How did you do that?" asked the blonde dwarf, creeping up to sit next to her. The brown haired one followed in suit, his gaze never missing a beat.

"Do what?" she asked innocently, backing up against the stone walls with her clothes in her hands.

"No one has ever been able to do that to Uncle Thorin before," he said awe, his face almost contorted with confusion. The blonde one nodded in sync with the brunette, and Essence realized they were brothers. Their eyes were shaped the same, and they held the same smirk. Essence looked at them and realized they were close—inseparable, even.

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about," she stated haughtily, sitting against the side of the cave and closing her eyes which were glowing bright with annoyance, something she despised about her them. Whenever she felt strongly about anything, whether it was winning an argument when she knew she was right, or being extremely annoyed, her eyes lit up brightly and basically showed her soul to whomever she was talking to. God forbid she ever fell in love, or her heart would, quite literally, be poured out from her gaze.

"Why are your eyes glowing?" inquired the brunette, his head tilted in curiosity. Essence opened her eyes and tightened her mouth.

"Are you an Elf?"

"My eyes do not glow, and I am not an elf." Essence glared at the two dwarves. They were acting like children. "I suggest you two get some sleep."

"Oh, I'm not tired," said the brunette, still staring at the girl. His dark amber eyes were lit with curiosity. "What did you say your name was?"

"Es—Mara," Essence replied tiredly, quickly fixing her mistake. She leaned against the wall and hoped the younger dwarves would take a hint. As she predicted, they did not, and she was bombarded with more questions.

"Esmara? That's a peculiar name." Kili looked at her with a quirked smile on his face.

"It's just Mara."

"Then what's with the 'Es' in the front?"

"Please be quiet." There was a small pause before one of them started up again.

"I'm Fili," the blonde one cut in, the braids on his mustache swinging as he smiled.

"And Kili," said the brown haired dwarf with stubbly cheeks. Essence frowned at them, turning up her nose.

"Well, goodnight Fili and Kili," she said roughly, and the younger dwarves just smiled.

"You say it very nicely," said Kili, and she looked him straight in the eye, her gold ones penetrating his brown.

"If you two do not silence yourselves," she said quietly yet fiercely, "I will have you thrown out into the rain, and you will be stuck in the bitter, freezing rain until it stops. Understand?" The eyes on the dwarves were wide, on Fili especially. His lips parted in astonishment until Kili let out a laugh, his eyes wrinkling as he smiled. His brother looked at him.

"What is so funny?"

"She can't actually do that," said Kili, the smile still on his face. He ran a hand through his tangled hair absentmindedly, looking from Fili's eyes to Essence's. His smile faltered, and his hand stopped as Fili stared at him. "Can she?" His voice popped in fear.

"Did you see what she did to Uncle Thorin?" Fili said, backing away from her and against the wall a few feet away. She looked at them and raised her head in defiance.

"Maybe I could make you walk out there yourselves," she said, and Kili's eyes widened. "It'd be silent, and no one would hear you. All by yourself, sitting in the cold rain, with no one beside you and no idea why you did it." She raised her eyebrows at him as he leapt back next to Fili. Another twinge of guilt washed over her as she spoke to the young dwarf, but, honestly, he deserved it. Though she wasn't usually this nasty with people, this mocking side of her came out more when she talked to the dwarves.

"Are you a witch?"

"Go to sleep."

"But are you?"

"Well, what do you think?"

"I think you are, but—"

"Look, stubborn dwarf," she said, staring down Kili. "It was a rhetorical question."

"What's a—"

"One you _don't_ _answer_." She glared daggers at him, her eyes brightening. "It would do you well to either pipe down or go take a hike." Kili nodded quickly, leaning against the wall and squeezing his eyes closed. Essence sighed, leaning back up against her wall. At this rate, she wasn't going to get any sleep.

"I just want to—"

"Go. To. Sleep."

"Sorry." Essence grabbed her still damp clothes and stood up, throwing on her over-shirt and skirt and wrapping up in her coat. She sank back down to the floor and snuggled up into the rock. It wasn't the bed she was used to, but it was going to have to do for now.

Essence opened her eyes one last time and looked over at the two dwarves just feet away from her. The blonde and brunette were already asleep, as it looked, with their heads upon each other's shoulders. Essence frowned, breaking her gaze from the duo. She had not grown up with something like they did, and though they were annoying, she wished she had what they did.

Essence's eyes closed, the faces of the dwarves embedded in her mind. Though she didn't want to admit it to herself, the both of them were rather handsome. They _also_ the most annoying and infuriating creatures she had ever met. Something she knew didn't go well together. Essence frowned to herself, then drifted off into a light sleep, hunger still panging in her stomach.

**So… How did you like it? Review, subscribe, do whatever—it all makes me happy. Honestly, I'm just happy if people are reading it, but reviews make my day **** Thank you readers, and have a splendid day.**


	3. Chapter 3

**So… The story's back, I guess… I have absolutely nothing to do over spring break, so I just wrote a lot. For those of you who like this story, I guess it's a good thing, and for those of you who do not… deal with it ****. Thank you to all my reviewers! I'm so happy you like this story! Keep reading. Sorry I'm kind of rambling, but… Here it is! *And... don't laugh at me, but I just realized how to add the horizontal lines like the one below, so this will be an easier read :).**

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_The cold of the stone around her was suddenly replaced by heat, the most intense heat Essence had ever felt. The heat tore at her skin as it took on a red tint. Essence opened her eyes. All around her was smoke—not the pleasant, good smelling smoke that wafted from the fire after she cooked a meal. But a light smoke, smelling of something horrible and putrid—the smell of burning flesh. _

_ "Hello, Essence," whispered a low, chilling voice. Essence whipped around, looking around her, but there was nothing but the white smoke and a red and fire-colored tint to the air. "I have long since awaited your arrival." Essence wracked her brain, trying to think of what was happening to her. She looked down and realized she was no longer clothed, and covered herself as much as she could, ducking down on herself._

_ "Who," she started, her voice shaking and her throat closing at the smell. She was barely able to get her words out. "Who a-are you?" She stared around, only seeing the smoke. "Where are you?"_

_ "I am here," said the voice, and she whipped around, her bare feet touching hard, dead grass. She yelped as it scratched at them, and looked down in horror. What she had believed to be dead grass were stained, sharp and decaying bones. They littered the ground all around her, creating a carpet of death. That she was standing right in the middle of. "Look for me, my _darling_," the voice hissed, filling Essence's ears from all around. She whipped around again, searching for something, a movement of the smoke, anything. She saw nothing. _

_ "Show yourself," she said, still trying to hide her naked body. A cold, unfeeling laugh shook through the field of bones, and she felt a hot breath on her shoulder. Essence screamed loudly, turning around to see nothing. Another chuckle escaped from the man she could not see, and the air around her became warmer. _

_ "My dear," hissed the voice, circling around her. She felt the wind against her exposed skin, and wanted to scream in fear and frustration. Though the wind was warm, it chilled her to the bone. "My darling." The wind whipped around her once more, and Essence came to the startling realization that the wind was the voice. "My _Essence_." Essence began to shiver uncontrollably, letting out a strangled gasp and hugging herself. Nothing had ever scared her more than that voice. She had heard it before, she knew, but her mind would not allow her to remember. _

_ "Who are you?" Essence asked again, shuddering, as another laugh echoed through the smoke. The stench began to choke her, and she gasped for breath. The wind seemed to reach up and wrap its hot, _burning_ hot fingers around her throat, closing it. _

_ "You don't remember me?" hissed the voice in mock anger, and the fingers tightened their grip on her neck. Essence gasped for breath, her eyes widening. She tried to grab at the fingers suffocating her, but felt nothing. She tried to draw in a breath, but nothing came. Her lungs screamed from the lack of air as she struggled to regain her breath. _

_ "P-Plea-ease," she whispered, her head slowly growing weary as breath evaded her. The laugh echoed around her, the hands loosening slightly. _

_ "Beg me," he laughed maliciously, and Essence sucked in as much air as she could, yet only half her lungs filled with the putrid air. "Implore me," he whispered manically, an evil laugh escaping his unseen lips. Cackling boomed around her, and she fell to the ground._

_ "Please," she whispered, trembling as the bones scratched her skin. _

_ "More," hissed the voice, and the invisible hands clutched her throat once more. She screeched, convulsing on the ground as the hands wrung her neck. "More!"_

_ "Please..." Tears pricked at Essence's eyes as the grip around her neck slowly loosened. "Stop!" The pain overwhelmed her—it felt as if her windpipe had been broken. She had never felt this pain—her body was burning and ablaze, needles poking every inch of her body. Everywhere around her body was on fire and smoldering as she screamed—a heart wrenching scream that, in all her years of healing, she had never heard. Until then, Essence had not felt true pain._

_The hands unclasped from around her neck and she gulped in as much air as she could, grabbing at the bones on the ground as she sprawled out. The heat of fresh tears stung her face, and she wanted to scream. Essence hated feeling this helpless, like she could never do anything. _

_ "Essence…" the voice echoed across the room, spinning in her ears as she lay on the floor, still gasping for breath. "Essence… Essence… Essence…" With each echo of her name, shivers wracked Essence's body. Each hiss of the 'S' in her name sent her into another fit of coughing as the smell around her grew stronger. Laughter ricocheted through the white smoke, a dark figure approaching the frail, helpless girl. She breathed heavily as the figure drew nearer, cloaked in another layer of smoke. _

_ "How do you know my name," she breathed, the newfound silence around her allowing her to whisper. She rushed up so she was standing, still covering her body diffidently. As she looked down, she saw she was skinnier than she remembered, and looked starved. Her ribs were prominent, and her hip bones stuck out more than she would have liked. It was partly because of her last great job for the princes of Ettenmore, who were particularly straining to heal. She shivered, clutching herself._

_The smoke broke around her, revealing a man. His hair was thick and black, a thick yet kept beard on his face. His face held a similar olive complexion to hers, but unlike her, his features were sharp and distinct. His mouth was turned up into a sadistic smile, and Essence opened her eyes widely and swallowed thickly. The man's eyes were closed, she noticed, and his bushy eyebrows were highly set. _

_ "Essence," he whispered, his eyebrows raising. The cloak draping over his body seemed to be lined with the foul smelling smoke all around us. From the path at which he came lay the deepest black of smoke Essence had ever seen, and she gazed at the figure. "Do you not recall who I am?" Essence stared at him, letting her arms drop from protecting herself. His eyes were still closed, and as she focused on him, her body felt like lead._

_ "I…" she whispered, her mind still vague from lack of air. "N-No." She stared at the figure as his mouth drew into a smile, showing straight teeth which had faded to grey. He was an eerie sight, especially with his eyes closed. "Who are you?"_

_ "I," he began slowly, his eyelids slowly lifting. "I am Mandos." His eyes slowly began to open, a wicked smile crossing his face as Essence's eyes opened widely and began to glow with fear. "I'm the one who _created _you, don't you remember?" He fully opened his eyes, gold shining through and illuminating the smoke around them. The same gold that appeared in her own eyes._

_ Essence's breath seemed to be pulled out of her as the Valor Mandos stared down at her, his golden eyes shining like her. "Y-You," she said, covering herself once more. He laughed slowly, his eyes narrowing into a vice grin. "H-How am I here? I was in… I was in the cave, and now… a-and now…"_

_ "I'm proud of you," he mused, his eyes raking up and down her body, which she covered more forcefully. He looked back into her eyes, the glow of hers matching his near perfectly. She looked up at him, her eyebrows creased in worry and confusion. "You have used your gifts well."_

_ "Mandos," she said, her lips drawn tightly. She stared at him, and his lips turned up as she said his name. "You're… the one who blessed me."_

_ "Yes."_

_ "Why do I not remember your face?"_

_ "You were too young," he said, "To remember me." He looked down at her, the young girl he had watched suffer through pain and slowly grow up. He smiled to himself. "But, you have come of age." The girl before him frowned, covering herself with her hair. _

_ "Of-of age?" she questioned, staring at the Valor Lord before her. His smile twisted up and his eyes glowed with a fierce desire she had never seen before. "What does that mean?"_

_ "Never mind," he said slowly, his own eyes still burning. Hers filled with confusion at the Valor Lord, who looked down at her. In reality, Mandos was not unsightly. He was, in fact, physically quite attractive. His stern features gave him a domineering appearance, something she herself lacked, and his angled face was appealing. But she knew that he was ugly within—he had taken her mother's life, though in exchange for her own, and given her a curse. He was, frankly, evil. _

_ He let out a low, rumbling laugh. "So you think me evil, child," he said, his voice rumbling through the mist. She frowned, slowly shaking her head. He laughed again. "I, Essence, am not the evil one, as you will come to know." She scowled at him, unsure of what he was saying. He made her feel… uncomfortable and uneasy. _

_ "You are the King of the Dead," she whispered slowly, squinting up at him. "What could possibly be more evil than you?" The Valor in front of her straightened his shoulders and his smile fell, a glare pointed directly at her. His eyes burned bright with anger, something she wished never to see again. She cowered back, knowing it was a risky move, and regretting it immediately. Instead of advancing upon her, he turned and looked the other way. His tall figure stood well above her own height, his dark hair slicked back on his head. The mist seemed to grow tightly around him, suffocating her with stench once more. The smoke began to encircle Mandos, crawling up his robes and clawing at them, as if trying to reach their way to the top. _

_ "You are simply a child," he said slowly, the smoke creating figures on his back. A human writhing in pain, a pool of dripping blood, a spear as it took down its enemy. Essence shivered, the smoke slowly turning an inky black as it advanced in its climb. Black, the color of death. "I thought you had matured, but I suppose now, you have not." White smoke covered his head, then quickly changed to an pitch black. "You will understand in time," he said slowly as the smoke enveloped him and he all but disappeared. "For now, you must leave. The fools who hold you in their custody will worry if you do not awake." So, she was in a dream. She slowly stood up and uncovered herself as realization hit her. She was simply dreaming._

* * *

Essence was shaken awake by the feel of dropping and a large amount of yelling, and as she opened her eyes, the stench still in her nose, she realized she was plummeting through the air. Fear raced back into her heart as adrenaline rushed back through her veins. Her skin was hot and sticky, but when she looked at it, it was slowly turning from red to her natural skin tone. The yells from the dwarves echoed throughout the cavern they were falling into, but she paid no attention. A single question remained in her mind as she descended downward.

Could she be certain that was a dream?

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

**Well, this chapter is sort of long, basically the same length as my previous ones. This was written entirely in the car, and yes, up until a certain part, the lines and actions are exactly the same as the movie. I have access to it, thankfully, so I won't be making everything up. And, uh… Just a Disclaimer… I own absolutely nothing. Though I wish I did. **

** Anyway, thanks for the reviews, and I'm glad the majority of you are enjoying it!**

Essence suddenly hit a long slide of rock and began to drop down, closely following the dwarves. She held in a loud scream as the slide plummeted, dropping her steeply. It turned quickly, jarring her, and the dwarves in front of her yelled loudly. The dwarf directly in front of her cursed as they took another sharp turn, gaining speed as they went along. This would have been fun, almost, if she had actually known where she was going and not (most likely) racing to her death.

Suddenly, the rough rock slide ended promptly, dropping the dwarves into the thin air. The group of dwarves released a series of foul words, and Essence herself screamed, her stomach sinking uncomfortably. If she had had anything to eat before the fall, that was the time it would have surely come up.

Another stench, a new one, filled her nose as she dropped. Essence tried to breathe through her mouth so as to not vomit everywhere. She looked down, gasping at how close the ground was. A large claw, looking something like multiple sticks strung together, awaited them at the bottom.

The dwarves, one by one, fell into the claw. Essence gasped, falling on top of a dwarf with braided grey and black hair. He let out a groan, and Essence quickly rolled off him. At least _she _had had a soft landing. She stood up, trying to dust herself off. Her skirt had been ripped on the slide down, and everything smelled horribly and was covered in dirt.

Thorin, who was a few dwarves over, stood up quickly, mimicking Essence. The other dwarves took a little longer, catching their breath and letting out strangled sounds and groans. Thorin immediately looked around at all the dwarves, then at Essence. Essence's breath hitched in her throat as Thorin's gaze narrowed at her.

"You," he said quietly, advancing towards her. Essence automatically stepped back, shuddering in fear. "You!" He paused, his gaze like fire. "You did this!"

"What?" asked Essence, looking around at all the other dwarves. They had a look of confusion and betrayal on their faces, and she looked back at Thorin.

"You know _exactly _what I'm talking about, _don't_ _you_?" he asked angrily, taking another step towards her. "You lured me and my company down here! What do you know of our quest!"

"What are you talking about!" trembled Essence in reply. Suddenly, realization flooded through her, and a small laugh escaped her lips as she stared at Thorin. His eyebrows rose.

"What?" he spat at her, and she dropped her arms from covering herself.

"I just… you think I brought you down here?"

"I don't think, I know!" He glared at her, and she glared right back.

"I'm down here, too!" she yelled, standing her ground. "Do you really think, if I was planning to kill you and your company, I would put myself in danger as well?" Confusion crossed the dwarf's face, but it was quickly replaced by a blazing anger.

"What do you know of our company?" he asked again, still loudly, and a rumbling filled the cavern. Loud growls and noises began to fill the cave. Essence looked forward across the bridge that was connected them through a long structure of bridges and dips and saw nothing. Thorin's gaze didn't stray from hers. "I said, _what do you know of our company_!" Thorin took another few steps towards her, so they were less than a foot apart. She was looking straight into his eyes if she stood on her toes.

"N-Nothing," she stammered, a fierce look in her eyes. They began to glow with growing anger at Thorin.

"You lie!" he yelled, and the noises grew louder. He didn't even look at them as he reached out a hand and lashed it across her face. "Tell me what you know!" Essence gasped, stepping back and leaning against the weak railings of the claw. She looked away from the dwarf, whose face was contorted in anger, and lifted a hand to her face. She put her hand against the stinging side of her face, feeling the tender skin. A few dwarves let out a collective gasp.

"Thorin!" yelled one of the dwarves, and as she looked up, Essence recognized it to be the blonde dwarf who had asked her so many questions. "How could you do that?" Thorin's angry façade broke as he turned to see the dwarf, sadness etched in his face. Thorin dismissed the young dwarf and looked at Essence again. The yelling and screaming grew louder, but Essence didn't dare break the gaze of the dwarf.

"Tell me what you know!" he growled, and Essence stomped her foot on the wood underneath her.

"I don't know anything, you thick dwarf!" she yelled, her voice cracking as her cheek stung. "I had no way of knowing we would end up here!"

"Thorin!" yelled another of the dwarves, one with a shaved head, and Thorin looked away. Thorin's eyes widened as he followed the dwarf's gaze, and Essence looked over as well. Goblins, big and small, rushed at them from every angle, and Essence let out a scream. The dwarves tried to stand as quickly as they could and draw their weapons, but the goblins were already ambushing them.

"Fight!" yelled Thorin, unsheathing his sword and slashing it at the goblins. Though the dwarves may have out-skilled the goblins, the latter had thousands more than the opposing team, and Essence swallowed thickly. She had only once dealt with goblins, but it was a long, long time ago. The only thing she remembered was that they let her go. But, why? Then, it hit her and she stopped dead in her tracks.

A goblin approached her, its vile skin and claws getting closer and closer to her. "Stop," she ordered quietly, and the goblin paused. It looked up at her and tilted its head. It had a squished face, its nose pointing up like an arrow head and its squinty eyes staring at her intently. "Lead us to your king," she said quietly, and the creature nodded—well, as much as it could nod, with its thick neck and small head. She got the notion that he was going to do that whether he was ordered to or not, but she followed the goblin anyway as she turned to them. Immense calm enveloped her as she followed the goblin, and it led her out of the fight between goblin and dwarf.

"You!" yelled Thorin, slashing a goblins head off. "You are with them! You lied to us!"

"I am not with anyone," she said slowly, staring at the dwarf. Her calming voice stalled the dwarf for a second, and the quick goblin he was fighting raked its sharp claws across his face. Thorin yelled, stabbing the goblin and kicking it and knocking down two more. Thorin reached up to touch his face, the blood staining his fingers, and Essence cringed. Thorin stared towards her as she walked forward with the goblin, no others trying to attack her. The look of hurt upon Thorin's face chilled her to the bone—if only he knew she was trying to _help _them, though she couldn't blame him for feeling betrayed. From the outside looking in, Essence appeared to be doing just the opposite.

A few goblins grabbed and ripped at Thorin, grabbing at his sword and his clothes. Thorin looked defeated, and the few dwarves who glanced at him were grabbed by the goblins as well. They yelled, fighting and screaming against the goblins, trying to free themselves, until Essence was forced to look away. Guilt settled in her stomach, as she could do nothing to help them.

About twenty or so goblins holding the dwarves rushed in front of her and the leading goblin on the broken down bridge, and Essence vaguely wondered how they were still holding after the goblins had repeatedly rushed at them. As if in response, a board underneath one of the dwarves broke, and he hurried forward.

As the dwarves passed her, she saw the young dwarves, Fili and Kili, if she remembered correctly, still fighting against the goblins as they tried to drag them forward. The brunette, Kili, had a long scratch that was bleeding uncontrollably down his face, starting from his eye and ending over his lip. The skin was shredded, and another goblin hit it, and Kili winced. He hit the goblin on the head with the hilt of a dagger he still had, and the goblin crumpled to the ground. Kili looked at her, his eyes ablaze from fighting. When they met her gold ones, his eyes hardened, a look of betrayal spreading across his features.

"Traitor," he snapped, spitting on the ground where Essence was standing. His aim was obscured as the goblins pushed him forward Her eyes remained emotionless, but grief and regret piled up in her stomach. Essence stepped towards the young dwarf, her hand out, and he smacked it away. "Get away from me." His words stung, but Essence brushed them off. She reached up once more and ran her fingers along his cheek, closing her eyes and still walking. She could fee Kili tense up beside her, ready to say something, but stopping as she brushed his wound. Essence muttered under her breath, something Kili couldn't understand, but then a stinging feeling was sent through the scratch, a pain so immense he would have fallen to the ground if it wasn't for Essence's strong hands.

"Sshhh," she told him as a scream developed in his throat. Her golden eyes still closed, she ran her finger through the shredded skin along his face. Kili's eyes fluttered closed as she drew her hand away from him, the wound on his face now a narrow and almost invisible scar. She turned and ran to catch up with the goblin, and Kili opened his eyes. His brother grabbed his arm as they were forced forward by goblins, but Kili's face remained in a state of awe. He reached up and ran his fingers over his cut, feeling soft, clean skin, and he frowned. Why would she do that for him?

Essence walked briskly behind the goblin as it resorted to using its hands and feet for walking, and it sped up. The goblin in front of them held a torch, and as they rounded a thick stone corner, it fully illuminated the home of the goblins

Hundreds of thousands of goblins filled a poorly made stadium—elaborate bridges made the same as the one they were on then curved and dove into hundreds of directions, swirling everywhere. A winding bridge in front of them curled forward, leading them to a large dais with something bulky sitting on it. Though Essence's sight was beyond the proficiency of any Man, she couldn't make out what it was.

As she looked up at all the goblins, she was struck with a sense of disgust. They had set that trap previously, knowing any traveler who set foot in that cave would fall down there. The squawking and screeching of the goblins filled her ears, but she stood as tall as she could, feigning that she had control over the situation. As she looked around, the sheer _numbers _of goblins intimidated her, and she knew if her plan did not work, the dwarves would be done for.

The goblins hissed and jeered at the dwarves, pushing and shoving them forward. Essence and her obedient goblin stood a ways away from the commotion, but not far enough away to be noticed. She wanted to surprise the goblins into thinking she was traveling with them, which she hoped would stop them from harming the dwarves.

They wound their way around the bridges, finally ending up on a large wooden platform. The goblins in front of her obscured her view, and they grabbed the visible weapons off the dwarves and threw them in a pile. The goblins backed up, revealing the most hideous creature Essence had ever seen, something she had only ever heard about from stories told to her.

The Goblin King stood up, crushing multiple goblins under his massive body and stared at the group of dwarves. His chin swung wildly, and white-topped blisters were fixed to the right side of his face. His large round eyes stared at the company and Essence challengingly, wishing for a fight from them.

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom?" he boomed in a gravelly voice, his chin shaking once more. He scanned the crowd of dwarves, his bulging bloodshot eyes looking for someone in particular. "Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" His voice rose an octave higher with each word.

"Dwarves, your Malevolence," spat the goblin that had led Essence.

"Dwarves?" spluttered the Goblin King, swinging a stick with the skull of a bull on it.

"We found 'em on the front porch." The Goblin King laughed cruelly and lurched forward, shaking the wooden table.

"Well, don't just stand there!" he mused. "Search them!" With that, the goblins began attacking the dwarves, feeling them through and threw. Some of the dwarves batted them away, but most just stood tall and angry. "Every crutch, every crevice!" The goblins raked their hands across the dwarves, smashing anything of value that they had, or stealing it. "What are you doing in these parts?" The Goblin King took another step forward, shaking the platform once again. Essence wondered if he ever actually left that seat he sat in. "Speak!"

The dwarves stood silently, some with ridiculous expressions on their faces as they watched the king. The goblin who had led Essence looked from the king to them and back. The Goblin King straightened his fatty shoulders, staring down at the dwarves. "Well, if they will not talk, we'll make them squawk!" The goblins all around cheered, creating such a deafening sound Essence covered her ears. "Bring out the Mangeler!" The crowd, once again, cheered madly. "Bring out the Bone Crusher!" The goblins yelled and spat at them, and Essence knew that if there was a time to act, it would have been then. But something stopped her. "Start with the youngest!"

"Wait!" yelled a deep voice Essence recognized to be Thorin's. He stepped forward.

"Well, well, well," mused the Goblin King, backing up and raising an arm. "Look who it is." The goblins silenced. "Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror." The Goblin King was mocking him, but Thorin kept up a façade. "King, under the mountain." Essence's eyes widened as the Goblin King made a fake bow towards him. Thorin's face contorted in anger, but he didn't lash out. All around her, the goblins laughed in ridicule of the dwarf. He stood his ground and stood proudly. "Oh, but I'm forgetting! You don't _have_ a mountain." The goblins laughed again, and Essence held herself back. "And you're not a king. Which makes you… nobody, really." The Goblin King mocked a frown of pity for the king, then righted himself and smiled. Essence knew she would have to say something sooner or later, but, to be honest, she was scared. She knew she was going to die one of these days anyways from over-exerting herself, so she shouldn't have been scared. And yet, she feared it above anything else.

The Goblin King sneered at Thorin. "I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head." The Goblin King smiled, showing dirty and pointed teeth. Essence shuttered. "Just the head—nothing attached." The dwarves behind Thorin shifted nervously, the two younger ones fidgeting as they stared at the Goblin King in anger. "Perhaps you know of whom I speak." The Goblin King raised a thick finger at Thorin, tilting his head. "An old enemy of yours."He smiled. "The Pale Orc, astride a white Warg."

"Azog the Defiler," began Thorin, anger rising in his voice, "Was destroyed." Thorin paused, trying to maintain composure. "He was slain in battle long ago."

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" asked the Goblin King maliciously, laughing. He moved to a small goblin straddling a moving cart attached to a long wire. Essence inhaled and exhaled, closing her eyes. _Be calm_, she thought to herself. It was then or never.

"They might as well be," said Essence, stepping forward. The Goblin King looked taken aback by her sudden appearance, but brushed it off as he stared down at her.

"And who do you think you are, _little_ _girl_?" he smiled cruelly. He turned to Thorin. "Should we send _you_ instead to the Defiler?"

"It would do you wise not to," she replied stiffly, staring the Goblin King in the eye. Her eyes began to glow, and the King frowned in confusion. She smiled. "So, you do not remember me, do you?" she said, her voice almost a whisper.

"Who are you, you miniscule little girl?" he spat, staring at her. "Why would I know anything of _you_? I am a king! I do not pay ant notice to the likes of you." Essence smiled, her eyes glinting in defiance.

"I," she began slowly. "Am Essence, blessed by the Valor. Perhaps now, your _great_ majesty, you remember?"

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